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High Ridge Wildlife Management Area

4.5 ★★★★★ 15 Google reviews · Running trail in Gardner, Massachusetts · Hours vary

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Not reported
Distance
Not reported
Shape
Not reported
Shade
Not reported
Access
Not reported

We have not been able to confirm the surface, distance or shape of High Ridge Wildlife Management Area yet from its own listing, the park's website or runner reviews — so those cells stay blank rather than guess. What is below comes straight from the listing and from reviewers' own words. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.

Dog-friendly

What runners say about High Ridge Wildlife Management Area

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (15 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

🏞️ beautiful scenery 3 mentions

“It's beautiful and full of nature”

Probably the best place for dogs to run off energy, as well as you. Please keep dogs on leash as much as possible. DRIVE SLOW! Tracking/Horse riding/Fox Hunting/so much more...so just heads up. But, have a blast!

★★★★★ — Lisa , Aug 2021

A great place to hike or walk away from the cars and people crowds of a city.

★★★★★ — Anthony , Nov 2023

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 15 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

🐕 Dog-friendly 3 mentions

“Probably the best place for dogs to run off energy, as well as you.”

More trails like this →

Plan your run at High Ridge Wildlife Management Area

The practical stuff

  • AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
  • DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
  • ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
  • DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.

Where to find High Ridge Wildlife Management Area

Smith St, Gardner, MA 01440

Get directions

Running trails near Gardner

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

Dunn State Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 882 reviews

Gardner, MA

LoopScenicDog-friendly

State park offering picnic facilities, hiking trails, playgrounds, a beach, and pond, as well as swimming.

under a mile away

High Ridge Wildlife trail headEast Gardner Road

5 ★★★★★ 4 reviews

Westminster, MA

1.8 miles away

Mass Audubon's Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary

4.6 ★★★★★ 53 reviews

Gardner, MA

LoopScenicDog-friendly

Relaxed refuge featuring woodsy paths and a beaver pond, plus lake views and meadows. Secluded, bird-filled trails are fit for families and seniors.

1.9 miles away

North Central Pathway

5 ★★★★★ 8 reviews

Gardner, MA

Paved

1.9 miles away

140 Xing Bike Trail North Central Pathway

4.8 ★★★★★ 37 reviews

Gardner, MA

MixedScenic

2.7 miles away

Rome Conservation Area

4.3 ★★★★☆ 11 reviews

Gardner, MA

3.4 miles away

All running trails in Gardner, MA →

Nearby towns

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.